Date: November 16, Friday
Time: 13:00-14:30
Place: Kirkens Hus Rådshusgata 1-3, Oslo (Mellomkirkelig Råd)
Dalit women are uniting against the gruesome intersection of caste and gender discrimination. Movements are growing stronger and are connecting to each other and reaching out to decision-makers and people of the world. As the movement has grown, many have also seen an increase in violence and attacks.
Sexual harassment against women has received enormous attention through the movement #MeToo and has led to the fall of many powerful men. The last months, #MeToo has shaken India as well – from Bollywood to civil society and even governmental level. In October, a minster was forced to resign his position after sexual harassment accusations from a number of female colleagues.
In this round table we look at the dalit women movement and other marginalized women and the tools and technology that can be used to drive this fight forward. In what ways – if any – has #MeToo affected dalit women and women from marginalized communities?
Key speaker
Dalit activist Thenmozhi Soundararjan (India/USA) will talk about her work to mobilize women to stand up against violence and the use of new tools and technologies in this fight.
Thenmozhi Soundararjan is the director of Equality Labs – a South Asian organization that uses community research, socially engaged art and technology to end the oppression of caste apartheid, Islamophobia, white supremacy and religious intolerance. Soundararajan has used narrative art and media to further social justice and human rights causes in the United States and abroad.
Through art and activism, Soundararajan has brought together scholars, artists and activists to combat caste-based violence in the United States and India using transmedia narrative art through her project #Dalitwomenfight.
Watch this short movie from the International Dalit Solidarity Network on discrimination against dalit women.